Apparatus for separating liquid containing a dispersed phase of another liquid



April 3, 192s.

. E. W. GARD ET AL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUID CONTAINING A DISPERSED PHASE OF ANOTHER LIQUID Filed NOV. 16. 1926 l Invii/'ma Patented Apr.- 3, 19248.

4 y1,665,164- UNiTEDi STATES PATENT :o-FFicYE.

EARLE W. GARD, or lLouer BEACH, lBLAIR e. ALDRDG'E, 0F Los ANGELES COUNTY, AND

HUGH J. MULTER, 0F HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPAIRATING LIQUID AC01\l"J?AI1\TI1\T(iar A ANOTHER LIQUID.

`nrsiwansnn PHASE oF Application mea November 1s, 192s. serian No. 148,732.

It has been stated that oil containing water emulsiied therein may be dehydrated by passing an emulsiiied oil through a bed of particles which form capillary passages. Thus, the oil may be dehydrated by passing the same through a lfilter-bed composed 0f iitomaceous earth, silica carbons, or matted We have found, however, that processes of this character are inefficient, andin fact, so ineiiicient as to be commercially unproitable. This we-believe to be due to the channeling effect caused by the fact that the particles forming the capillary passages are displaced and the capillarity of the passages are soondestroyed by the forming of large channels therethrough. It has' been proposed to filter the oil through cloth to obtain this 'same break. We find, however, that cloth is 'ineffective due, we believe, to the fact that such capillary passages as may be present in the cloth are too short to obtain the desired de-emulsiiication.

We find that these diiiculties are overcome by using foraminous blocks formed of capillary passages which will not displace and which will have considerable length. We may use, for instance, 200 mesh'screens built up in considerable thickness, for instance one inch, approximately one inch blocks of capillary tubes held together by meansof a matriX or any other mechanical means, or porous,

blocks containing capillary passages, such as natural pumice rock cut into slabs, or filtros plates which are made by fusing particles of silica together at the point of contact of the silica, to provide a solidplate containing capillary passages. Such a process is described -in Patents 1,117,601 and 1,118,441. V The processl of separation, we believe to be due to the selective adhesion or adsorption of one phase with respect to another. "In separating oil from acid-sludge or oil `from water, we believe that the sludge or Water, as the case 'may be, adheres to the surface of the capillary passages more than the oil. The globules of acid-sludge or water, are therefore retarded byv adhesion, while the oil passes through the capillary passages. The

retarded phase is built up to form larger globules by the agglomeration of these fine particles. When the particles become large enough they are detached from the wall of Iview taken along line 4.--4 of the capillary pass'ageand move on with the oil and when they reach the space beyond the plate they gravitate to the bottoniv andk separate from the oil in a' layer. By placing the plates vertically, or on apvertical incline,

the agglomerated phase will gravitate downward anda substantially immediate separation results, giving a maximum efiiciency. This is the preferred arrangement. A horizontalV arrangement of the plates causes the agglomerated phase to be carried on with the main stream and re-emulsification to occur.' However, by causing an immediate separation ofthe agglomerated phase and withdrawing the same to a separate chamber before passage to the next plate, this're-` emulsiica'tion is avoided.

, The eiiiciency of the process is augmented l by arranging these filter or coagulation plates in series, passing the oil through the plates and separating the coagulated phase between each plate. For small units of 100 barrels per day operating at pressures of about twenty pounds to the square inch, we find that the Lfilter composed of single plates eight inches in diameter is sufficient.. An apparatus of this kind is shown in Figures 5 and 6. However, for larger units it is necessary touse larger plates. It 'is impractical to form plates greater than one foot square. We find that itis necessary to build these plates in the form of a gridwork. i

The invention will be better understood 343 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a sectional Figurev 1. Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modification of the filter. Figure 6 is an en'd view of Figure 5. In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1 is 'a shell containing a dished head 2, inlet 3 and `outlet 4. At points longitudinally spaced of this shell are a numberv of gridworks composed of vertical I beams 5, spaced apart on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thedrum. The I beams are welded to the drum orattached in any manner. Intermediate these I beams are drawoiis 6 and manholes, which manholes are covered by plates held in place by bolts. Welded to the I beams is a baille 7, formed plurality of studs 11. These blocks are held in place by retaining strips 12 which run on cords erpendicular to the I beams, and also by s orter retaining strips 13 which run perpendicular to the retaining strips'12,

and avpartially circular strip 14 which is placed around .the edge of the grid, touching the lowest strip 12. The blocks on the edge of the grid are so `cut as to t into the circular sections of the drum. Angle section 15, which is formed partially circular in the same manner as 14, is welded Vto the I beams 5 and is welded to the drum 1. This angle acts as a means for holding the stud 11 atc tached thereto. A similar angle section 16 is welded across the I beam 5 perpendicular thereto and acts as a retaining -means for the stud 1l welded thereto. The form of filter shown in Figures 5 and 6 is composed of` a plurality of sections 17 formed with flanges 18. Between each of the flanges are held plates 19 by meansof bolts 20. Between these plates are baiiles 21, between the baffles 21 and the plates 19 are draw-Otis 22. The first section having an inlet 23 has a draw- 4oii 24. The last section is made elongated and contains no baiiies but it does contain a draw-oil' 25. The end section is blanked olli' by plate 26 held in place by bolts 27, and has a draw-oi 28. g

The above is not to be taken as limiting our invention, but merely as illustrative o f the best manner of carrying out our invention, which we claim to be:

1. An 'apparatus for separating one liquid dispersed in another, a chamber, an inlet at one end of said chamber and an outlet at the other end of said chamber, a plurality of grids in said chamber, means for attaching a plurality of foraminous plates to said gridwork, a liquid outlet between said grids. 2. An apparatus for separating one liquid dispersed in another, a chamber, an inlet at one end of said chamber and an outletl at the other end of said chamber, a plurality of grids in said chamber, means for attaching a plurality of foraminous plates to said gridwork, a liquid outlet between` said grids, and batlles attached to said chamber.

3. An apparatus for separating one liquid dispersed in another ywhich comprises al chamber, a liquid inlet in one end of said chamber, a liquid outlet at the other end of said chamber, a pluralityl of vertically spaced grids in said chamber,a plurality of porous plates attached to said grids, means for sealing each of said plates, means for withdrawing liquid between said grids, and a baille attached to the bottom of said chamber. Q l

4. .An apparatus for dehydrating oil, comprising a chamber, having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of grids in saidl chamber, a means for attaching a plurality of oraminous blocks to said grids and means for withdrawing liquid between said grids.

5. An apparatus for separating acid sludge from an oil which has been treated with an acid, comprising, successive cha-m-` bers, the first chamber having a liquid inlet and the last chamber having a liquid outlet, a plurality of vertically spaced grids in said chambers, a plurality ,of porous plates attached. to said grids, means for withdrawing liquid between said grids, and a baille at tached tothe bottom of each chamber.

In testimony whereof lwe aiix our signal tures.

EARLE W. GARD. BLAIR G. ALDRIDGE. HUGH-J. MULTER. 

